Page 52 - BusinessWest October 12, 2020

HEALTHCARE HEROES OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
exclusively, behind the scenes and not on the front lines. But her contributions to what is an ongoing fight to carry on business in the middle of a pandemic, while keeping both employees and clients as safe as possible, are worthy of that adjective ‘heroic.’
“I said, ‘it’s her or us; until she’s gone, we’re out!’ She went to a hotel that”night and left the next morning.
“Not only has she handled this crisis with extraordinary competence and resilience,” Anstett wrote in her nomination, “she has remained a positive force in the lives of clients, their families, and caregivers.
“COVID-19 has not only presented physical challenges, but also mental ones, including severe anxiety and depression and exacerbating loneliness, isolation, and sleep problems, particularly in the senior population,” she went on. “To this end, Helen has not only served to protect the health of seniors across Western Massachusetts, but she has also given peace of mind to the families, seniors, and caregivers.”
To put these phrases ‘positive force’ and ‘peace of mind’ in their proper perspective, we turn back
the clock to last March 23, when Gov. Charlie Baker imposed his lockdown. At Visiting Angels, staff members packed up and prepared to work remotely for what would be three months. But as they
did that, Gobeil, in particular, had to develop detailed plans for providing care in the middle of a pandemic, at a time when people, and especially seniors, were wary about
letting people into their homes.
For many, though, home care is an essential need, so they had to let people in. But before anyone went
in, Gobeil and Anstett would conduct a risk assessment for both clients and caregivers within a given match.
Helen Gobeil with Michele Anstett, president and CEO of Visiting Angels West Springfield.
“We would go down
the list, and give each
client a number — ‘1’ being the least at risk, and ‘3’ the highest,” Anstett noted, adding that there are more than 60 clients on average at any given
time. “We would talk about each caregiver and each client and discuss how to keep them safe; if there was a facility that had COVID, we wouldn’t go into that facility.
renovating for the future...
MEDICAL FACILITY
Construction & Renovation
NURSING
& Rehabilitation Centers
COMMERCIAL
General Construction
General Contracting, Inc.
(413) 241-7886
www.designtofinish.com
To all of you, for what you do...We Salute You.
Holyoke | Hadley | Southampton Indian Orchard | Ludlow
413-538-7444 • dowd.com
010018_DOWD-HealthCareHeroAd.indd 1 A32 OCTOBER 2020
2020 HEALTHCARE HEROES
10/5/20 10:00 AM
4.5x5.8 Biz West
Staff Photo
2